Suzuki RE-5 Rotary A Bike Before Its Time · Suzuki RE-5 Rotary A Bike Before Its Time Sam Costanzo Rotary Guru VJMC’s 30th Anniversary Celebrations East & West Coast Rallies. 2

Celebrating 30 Years of Vintage Motorcycling

Volume 28, Number 2 • April/May 2007 • $4.50

Suzuki RE-5 RotaryA Bike Before Its Time

Sam CostanzoRotary Guru

VJMC’s30th Anniversary

CelebrationsEast & West Coast Rallies

2 2007 APRIL/MAY

Fellow VJMC Members,

The year 2007 marks our 30th anniversary of existence, a majormilestone for the club as most do not survive for that many years.The VJMC® will mark this chapter in our lives by holding many

events that fit our anniversary theme.As you will find in this issue, we are planning two VJMC® National Rallies,

one Eastern and one Western. This is very significant because we havenever done this before in the previous 29 years of our history. Our firstNational Rally was in Asheville, North Carolina in 2001, with subsequentmeets in Tennessee and Michigan. I am delighted to tell you that as we cel-ebrate 30 years of vintage Japanese bikes and our growth, both Rallies for2007 are shaping up to being our best ever.

The Eastern National Rally will be held in the quaint town of CumberlandGap, Tennessee, and will provide a great venue for riding and scenic diver-sity for folks from the Midwest to the eastern shores. This year's celebra-tion in Tennessee will include pre-rally rides through the AppalachianMountains and a myriad of special events to satisfy even the mostdemanding members. I hope that you'll come and join us on October 20th– 22nd for the pre-ride fun and on the 23rd – 25th for our greatest NationalRally ever.

Of course, the Tennessee Rally just might be upstaged by our firstWestern National Rally at Frazier Park, California. Held on the 6th and 7thof October, it's going to be a grand affair with bike shows, rides, and com-petitions for all our members west of the Mississippi. The bike show atFrazier Park has previously enjoyed many years of success, and this year,with the club's involvement, should prove to be the culmination of all pastefforts.

This I am sure of: it will be you, our members, who make these twoevents great by attending and enjoying the hard work of the dedicated folkswho've organized them for you. I am planning on being present for both ofthem and I do hope to see you there.

Continuing our 30th anniversary celebrations will be the Barber Museumevent, held on the 19th –21st of October in Birmingham, Alabama. Thisevent got rave reviews from all who attended in the past and this year itpromises to be even better.

I also wish to remind you that this is an election year for our ExecutiveOfficers, President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer positions. Theelection process will also include four Board of Director positions. I urgeyou to provide the names of any person, including yourself, whom youbelieve would serve this club and provide the leadership you would like tosee. For the first time in recent history our Bylaws now stipulate that eachField Representative will have a vote in the election process. I haveappointed a nominating committee to find and qualify those of you whowould like to serve this great club. You may contact the committee chair-man who is listed on our website at www.vjmc.org. Please feel free to offeryour input to the committee and also present those whom you feel wouldmake an excellent official for the club.

Thanks for being a VJMC member, and please plan to help us celebrateour 30th Anniversary by joining in one of the celebrations. —Pete Boody

From the President

President Pete Boody (865) 607-8179 [email protected]

Magazine EditorJason Roberts (562) 777-2565 [email protected]

Classified AdvertisingGary Gadd (817) 284-8195 [email protected]

Commercial AdvertisingBob Billa (949) [email protected]

MembershipBill Granade (813) [email protected]

WebmasterBeth Braun (860) 228-4252 [email protected]

Art DirectorNadine G. Messier (310) 574-9474 [email protected]

©2007 Vintage Japanese Motorcycle Club. Allrights reserved. No part of this document maybe reproduced or transmitted in any form with-out permission.

The opinions or views expressed in letters orarticles are those of the author and do not nec-essarily reflect the policy of the VJMC. TheVJMC accepts no liability for any loss, damageor claims occurring as a result of advice given inthis publication or for claims made by advertis-ers of products or services in this publication.

Mission Statement The Purpose of this organization isto promote the preservation,restoration and enjoyment ofVintage Japanese motorcycles. (Wedefine vintage as those 20 yearsold or older until 2011. We will stillembrace 1990, 1989 and 1988until then.) and to promote the sportof motorcycling and camaraderie ofmotorcyclists everywhere.

Volume 28, Number 2April/May 2007

32007 APRIL/MAY

From the President ..........................................................................................................2 Editorial ......................................................................................................................4

Letter to the Editor ................................................................................................4National Rally Announcement ..........................................................................5

West Coast National Rally Announcement ................................................5 Freebie Four Winners ............................................................................6Meet the Field Rep ..............................................................................8 Suzuki RE-5 Rotary: The Rotary Twin Motorcycle Story ........................9

Meet the Advertiser ..........................................1530th Anniversary VJMC® National Rally ............16

Sam Costanzo’s Rotary Recycle ....................22 Barber Vintage Festival 2006 ......................24

CyberBiku: www.vintagebike.co.uk ............27 Mr. Fuji’s Sushi ......................................27

EBay Watch: Yamaha RD400 ................28 My Afternoon on A Bridgestone............29 Classifieds ........................................31

Table of Contents

On the Cover: Chip Miller’s1975 Suzuki RE-5.

4 2007 APRIL/MAY

Hello, Dear Readers! I'm backat the helm after a little invol-untary "vacation", shall we

say, which began on a bright and clearmorning last December. I'd just finishedworking the VJMC booth at the annualInternational Motorcycle Show, where I'dmet some great folks and had lots of funchecking out all the tasty new 2007bikes. Filled with moto-enthusiasm, I'dstrapped on my brand-new helmet androde out on my Suzuki for a quick meet-up with some business associates.

I didn't make it back home until amonth later.

Some people believe that there are twotypes of motorcyclist: those who havebeen down, and those who will go down.Other, more optimistic sorts (like myself)consider crashing to be preventable, andtry to hedge our bets against such occur-rences with careful riding, training, and

top-notch protective gear. Whatever yourphilosophy, I'm sure most folks under-stand that it only takes one second, onemistake to alter one's life forever. Fivemiles down the road from my place, I hada violent encounter with the front end ofa PT Cruiser that left me sprawled on thetarmac with my limbs pointing in variousunnatural directions. It happened soquickly that I wasn't exactly sure how Iended up there; I only remember theimpact and then rolling on the ground tillI stopped, and then...owwww my friggin'shoulder!

My next thought was "Aww &@^$%*&!!!Not again!" as I remembered the lasttime I crashed back in 1998 (some read-ers may recall that, just months earlier, Ihad a fall resulting in a busted leg). Aftera few fun minutes of pain I was beingasked my name by the paramedics, whoscooped me into a gurney and loaded me

into an ambulance, thus beginning mymonth-long adventure through two hospi-tals, a rehabilitation clinic, four surgeries,and innumerable pills and injections.

After all this trauma, I wasn't surewhether I'd be riding anymore, and peo-ple close to me sort of encouraged thatmindset. Understandable, of course,given the serious injuries I sustained.But I realized that I'd never get bikes outof my blood completely, no matter whathappened. And now, the more I heal, themore I have the urge to jump back in thesaddle, so to speak. In any case, I'mreally happy that I'm still able to help theVJMC with this publication. I also want togive a big thanks to all the kind folks inthe club who called me in the hospitalwith words of encouragement; I reallyappreciate that! r

—Jason Roberts

Editorial: A Long Ride Home

C ouldn't agree more with your editorial "We're On OurOwn!" [Oct/Nov 2006] I'm not on my own, however,and that's the purpose of this e-mail. This summer I

scored a bike I've long wanted to own and ride, a 1978 YamahaSR500E. I found it in Indiana (I'm in the Twin Cities,Minnesota), and it had only 220 miles on the clock! But, ofcourse, there was work to do.

A friend of mine introduced me to George Krumholz. Georgeis a professional mechanic who works for Hennepin County full-time. He trained initially, however, as a motorcycle mechanic,worked in several shops, has been wrenching for 35 years, isan avid motorcyclist himself, and as I saw him working on mySR500, I'd guess that working on bikes is a passion of his thatalmost equals riding.

George has a motorcycle lift, works some spare hours in hisgarage at his home, and is affordable and fast. He installedsteel braided brake lines on the SR500, flushed and cleanedthe entire brake system (the original fluids having gummed andsolidified), rebuilt a caliper, disassembled the front forks,installed new seals and progressive springs, installed a modifi-cation to the original oil pump within the engine that Yamahaintroduced on their 1980 SR500, plus an auxiliary line for bet-ter oiling of the rockers up top. Then, as the bike was runningpoorly in mid-range, disassembled the carb, located severalproblems and addressed them.

Now the bike runs great, pulls hard off the line and throughoutthe entire range up to red line.

I found some BSA fork boots and a fork brace, and I watchedas George took the front end apart and installed these. Heknew how to torque for the right amount of load on the wheelbearings and the correct order for reassembly tightening. Iasked him where he learned all he knew and he laughed."David, I've been doing this for 35 years!" he said.

This man is a find, believe me. I don't know what kinds of jobs he'd accept, but I told him I

wanted to tell the VJMC about him and that was OK with him. "Iwouldn't mind working on an old Honda or two," he said; "I cutmy teeth on them."

As I'm a new member I don't know anyone to introduce Georgeto here in the Twin Cities. But after your editorial I thought youmight know what to do.

George's phone number is 612-861-6568.

Thanks!David Grout

Do you have a restored motorcycle or project? Technical tips orwords of advice? Or just a nice old Japanese bike that you'dlike to see in this magazine? If so our members are eager tohear about and see it! Send your stories and high-resolution pic-tures to me at [email protected]. Thanks! r

Letter to the EditorThe following is a letter I received awhile back:

52007 APRIL/MAY

30th Anniversary 2007 VJMC® National Rally at Cumberland Gap, Tennessee

2007 VJMC®

West Coast National Rally at Frazier Park, California

Announcements:30th Anniversary National Rally • West Coast National Rally • Freebie Winners

The 5th Annual Frazier Park Festival of VintageMotorcycles is poised to become the largest vintagemotorcycle show in California! Featured this year is a

National Rally for the VJMC (Vintage Japanese Motorcycle Clubof North America), including a vintage motorcycle show, a timedendurance rally, road rides, a dual sport ride, appreciation/awards dinner, and a vintage motorcycle auction. The AntiqueMotorcycle Club of America will also be present, promoting a vin-tage motorcycle swap meet and expertly judging the bike show.

Scheduled Events:

Pine Mountain Club Vintage Motorcycle ShowA motorcycle show judged with modified AMCA (Antique MotorcycleClub of America) standards with classes for all bikes over 25 yearsold. Special emphasis will be on the Japanese bike classes; addi-tional classes will be added to ensure that other attendees to theVJMC National Rally will be adequately represented.

Mt. Pinos Endurance RallyThe Mt. Pinos Endurance Rally will have two special sectionsthat are time/distance measured: a pavement Hill Climb to thetop of two separate 9000 foot-plus mountain peaks, MountPinos and Mount Cerro Noereste, the latter being the tallestmountain in the Los Padres National Forest. Each special sec-tion will require the riders to climb approximately 4000 feet alti-tude in less than eight miles. Any bike/rider who exceeds thelegal speed limit on these two special sections (based on theirtimes) will be immediately disqualified. The total rally distancewill be approximately 74 miles.

Motorcycle Swap Meet by the AMCASponsored by the Antique Motorcycle Club of America, the swapmeet will be one of the highlights of the event. That Tohatsu tail-light or Honda handlebar you’ve been searching for might be here!

Tecuya Dual SportA dual sport ride specially designed for vintage motorcycles,starting from the Pine Mountain Club Commercial Center.Participants in the dual sport ride can easily participate in allevents, from the bike show to the Endurance Rally to riding theirbikes in and around the beautiful mountain roads surroundingthe event area. This event will operate under permit from theUnited States Forest Service, and will be a chartered event withthe American Motorcycle Association. The total distance will beapproximately 80 miles.

“Rocky Top” Fun RallyAugust 23rd, 24th, and 25th, 2007

October 6th and 7th, 2007

The 2007 30th Anniversary “Rocky Top” Rally kicksoff with several rides through the AppalachianMountains. Participants will enjoy scenic locations

such as the Natural Tunnel and Burkes Garden in Virginia, theNew River Gorge in West Virginia, Stearns Scenic Railway inKentucky, and Hwy 16 in Virginia which has over 35 miles ofgreat twisties and absolutely fantastic scenery.

VJMC® “Rocky Top” Rally fun begins at Cumberland Gap,Tennessee, on Thursday morning August 23rd, 2007, withopening ceremonies and a continuous schedule of super coolevents until our closing Banquet on Saturday evening August25th, 2007. These exciting times will include a swap meet,Concours d' Elegance bike show, a Ride-In bike show for anyand all who wish to come, field games, history tours, caving,seminars, a guest speaker, vintage music from the 50s, 60sand 70s, social events, a great banquet dinner, and of coursesome of the most spectacular mountains in the Midwest.

All of these events and more will be covered by a modestgate fee of $45.00. No need to pre-register, just come andenjoy the fun. If you wish further information about the VJMC®

“Rocky Top” Rally marking our 30th Anniversary atCumberland Gap, TN, please contact Pete at [email protected]. For continuous updates please visit www.vjmc.org.You can also visit www.cumberlandgap.net for a look at thewonderful offerings of the surrounding areas. r

Powell Valley and the North escarpment.

continued on next page

President’s Note:If you visit the website at www.vjmc.org you will find the cal-ender of events pages with information on the Rally and alisting of suggested local accommodations. If you will beattending this event please let me know and please makeyour reservations at the Cumberland Inn. The room rate is$70.99 for VJMC members and please mention the rallycode of "vjmc rally” in order to get the rate.

6 2007 APRIL/MAY

Frazier Park 100 RallyThe Frazier Park Rally is a 100-mile ride thatstar ts at the Pine Mountain ClubCommercial Center. This rural ride isdesigned to highlight the area's scenicbeauty and will include stops at businessesalong the way such as the Santa BarbaraPistachio Co. in the Cuyama Valley. This ridewill allow riders to experience a 100 mile-plus loop with no stop lights – a rare sightindeed in the increasingly urbanizedSouthern California street riding environ-ment! The total distance will be approxi-mately 103 miles.

VJMC Member Appreciation Dinner •Awards Banquet • Vintage MotorcycleAuctionA VJMC member appreciation dinner andawards ceremony for the participants of theMt. Pinos Endurance Rally will kick off theevening festivities. A motorcycle auction willbe held after the dinner to allow participantsand visitors a chance to purchase a show bikewinner or even an endurance rally winner! r

West Coast National Rallycontinued from page 5

OCTOBER 6, 2007

6am: Event opens to vendors, AMCAMotorcycle Swap Meet space set up.

7am: Pine Mountain Club MotorcycleShow set-up.

8am: Pine Mountain Club MotorcycleShow, AMCA Motorcycle Swap Meetopens to the public.

12:30pm: Pine Mountain Club ShowAwards Ceremony.

1:30pm: Mt. Pinos Endurance Rallybegins.

6pm: Mt. Pinos Endurance RallyAwards Ceremony, Dinner, andVintage Motorcycle Auction.

OCTOBER 7, 2007

7am: Tecuya Dual Sport Ride begins.

8am: Frazier Park 100 Rally begins.

2pm: Event Closes

EVENTS TIMETABLE

T he count is in and there are 10 newFreebie Four winners for the year

2006. These VJMC members signed upat least 4 new VJMC members over thepast 12 months. Because of their hardwork in adding to the VJMC membershipnumbers, each winner will be given anadditional one year extension to theirVJMC membership.

Many thanks go to all the membersthat signed up new members in year2006. Without the hard work of ourmembers, we would not be the greatclub that we are.rI wish you well,Bill Granade,VJMC Membership Chairman

Michael Berg • Frazier Park, CAGreg Bradish • Clarkston, MITim McDowell • Columbia, MDKenny Haines • Havre de Grace, MDDavid Hellard • Grove City, OHDavid Kukulski • Tionesta, PAChip Miller • Minneapolis, MNKent Myers • Sun City, AZJames Nold • Azle, TXRoger Smith • Clarkston, MI

VJMC® Freebie Four Winners

8 2007 APRIL/MAY

L ike many others I'm sure, myinterest in motorcycles began atan early age as I admired the

cool machine ridden by my friend's olderbrother. We used to sneak it out secretlyfor an occasional ride when we knew hewould be away from home for a while.This was risky business in Northern NewJersey with its high traffic congestion andever-vigilant police force. Driver permitswere not offered until one's 17th birthdayin New Jersey, and if you were caught driv-ing before that the date would be movedup another excruciating year until youwere 18; fortunately, we made it throughwithout getting caught. I got my permit onmy 17th birthday followed by my license atthe first available test date. Now I was set.

My weekend job pumping gasat a Shell station providedenough money to purchase

my first motorcycle, a 1966 250 YamahaYDS3. I rode that machine everywhere Icould, to Toronto as well as to Miami andback. I did not find this machine at all

uncomfortable or ill-handling. Maybe ayounger body just doesn't know whatthose things mean yet. I had much lesstrouble on the road than did my friendGene on his '66 BSA lightening. (Ilearned much about motorcycle mechan-ics from Gene's BSA.) Eventually I woreout the 250 engine and I was able toreplace it with a 305CC motor from awrecked YM1. I remember feeling soproud of myself for completing the engineswap even though it was a simple "bolt inthe new one" kind of job. Now all the guysin my high school who rode the new

Honda 350swere left behindat a simple twistof the wrist. The305 even gaveGene's BSA 650a serious run forits money up toabout 60mph.

I later sold myYamaha andbought a Hodakafor what turnedout to be a shortand unceremoni-ous shot atmotocrossing.Besides moto-crossing beingtoo expensive formy limited budg-et, I was simplytoo big for themachine. Myvery limited offroad experience

didn't help either. So I sold the Hodakaoff to pay some bills while in college andwas out of motorcycling for a few yearswhile our sons were growing.

Ihad always been impressed with mycollege friend Tim's GT750 Suzuki;it was smooth, powerful and reli-

able. I would help him tune it and keep itrunning. About twenty years ago when Iwas able to get back into motorcycling, Idecided this was the machine I was goingto get, and I've never regretted that deci-sion. Since then I have gotten to know

the Suzuki triples pretty well and haverestored each of the GT750, 550, and380 models as well as a few others fromthe inside out. I also have a BSALightning, Guzzi V7, Harley XLCR and acouple of Hondas in my collection. As Iget older I find myself wrenching morethan riding, but I do still love to ride. Myfew years as the Minnesota VJMC FieldRep have been very rewarding; meetingnew people and sharing a common pas-sion for bikes makes any effort on mypart well worth it. I truly enjoy the knowl-edge and humor our second Monday ofthe month get-togethers bring me. Manythanks to those in our group who share itwith me. r

Meet the Field Rep:Chip Miller

W h e n I w a s a b l e t o g e t b a c k i n t o

m o t o r c y c l i n g, I d e c i d e d t h i s w a s

t h e m a c h i n e I w a s g o i n g t o g e t .

Chip seen here with his collection

of motorcycles. His RE-5 Suzuki

leading the pack.

92007 APRIL/MAY

In answer to the Rotary Twin question, here are my

notes on the background history of the RT Program.

Though lengthy, it is important information in under-

standing the thinking and direction of Suzuki at that time.

This is very good information for the RE-5 historian, enthusi-

ast, and collector.

PART 1:The Rotary Twin (RT) Development

Program was a serious turning

point for Suzuki. Their decision to

develop a rotary motorcycle

revolves around one major factor

and event that left such an impact

on Suzuki that it shook the foun-

dation of the Rotary Program and

the company. It changed their

strategy, course, and scheduled

production of the RE-5.

Suzuki's motorcycle engineering

policy has always been "design for

today with tomorrow in mind."

Thus, there are built-in provisions

to accommodate future develop-

ments. Looking at an RE-5, cer-

tain things just stand out, such as

an oversized radiator, large oil cooler, twin points, hefty gen-

erator, huge twin ducted air box, big 295mm twin front disk,

3-stage CDI box, and a monster two-barrel carburetor. These

were all for today's single rotor, but designed for tomorrow's

twin.

By early August 1972 Suzuki was well along into

their quiet Rotary project, with 12 single rotor pro-

totype machines going through extensive field and

bench testing. At that same time, engineers had a twin-rotor

design off the drawing boards and were working closely with

a second R&D team to make up two twin Rotary prototypes.

However, Suzuki knew that the twin rotor would be the next

generation engine in just a few years and already made pro-

visions for the twin. But, the single rotor had first priority in

development and funding, and the twin was a second-stage

fill in. In the mean time, daily reports on the 12 prototypes

showed that the new, improved, single-Rotary engine devel-

oped by R&D performed very well. But, still at times, it took

some slight tweaking and refining. Suzuki Marketing was

pleased with the reports and requested two RX Rotary pro-

totypes and one cut away engine from R&D wanting to fea-

ture them as part of their Suzuki display at the upcoming

Tokyo Motor Show in October, 1972.

The Tokyo Motor Show is the "granddaddy" of them

all. Anyone who is anyone would have been there.

This show gave every manufacturer a worldwide

platform to display their latest line up of motorcycles for the

forthcoming 1973 season. It also gave them an opportunity

to whet the appetite of both public and press by showing off

prototype and concept machines. Though marketing had a

very good idea, their request for two RX prototypes and a

twin cut away engine was rejected because Suzuki did not

want to show their Rotary hand yet. Somewhat puzzled and

disappointed by the decision from the top, marketing went

ahead without the Rotaries. In October 1972, they set up a

fabulous display of 42 machines for '73, with the GT-750K

Suzuki RE-5 Rotary:The Rotary Twin Motorcycle Story

by Sam Costanzo


10 2007 APRIL/MAY

triple taking center stage. The whole R&D team was

at the show and was excited to see what the com-

petition had to offer for '73. After making three

extensive passes around the sprawling show, they

returned back to the Suzuki display and compared

notes. The conclusion was Suzuki had the best dis-

play, a terrific line up of machines, the most people

on the floor, and more press coverage than anyone

else. As far as their Japanese competition went,

Honda had nothing special to speak of but a few

warmed up '72 models. Kawasaki had a new triple

to show off, but ho-hum. Yamaha, who was just

across from the big Suzuki display, had a modest

line up of bland looking, so-so machines. The only

thing of mention there was a roped-off, covered dis-

play with a sign that read "special sneak preview

unveiling at 12:00." No one on the R&D team gave

it much thought.

A t around 11:45 a band of reporters were

noticed gathering around the Yamaha

display, which now started to slowly

revolve. This seemed interesting enough, so most

of the R&D boys made their way over to Yamaha ter-

ritory where the crowed was beginning to grow.

One reporter said that he heard that Yamaha had a new,

updated version of their prototype GL-750 4 cylinder, two-

stroke, water-cooled, "fuel injection" model ready for produc-

tion. Rumors and gossip were abound with all kinds of spec-

ulation. At precisely 12:00 the strobe lights went on and fan-

fare music started to play. This hype instantly attracted a

large crowd, as people started pouring down all aisles

straight for the Yamaha display. With all eyes affixed to the

covered display, two shapely, smiling models came out and

slowly walked around the covered rotating display a few

times and pointed to some unseen bulges. This increased the

mystery another notch and drew the crowd in closer. The strobe

lights stopped, and the overhead and side spot lights took over

and fully illuminated the covered display. The two models

stepped back and clapped their hands loudly. At that moment,

the covers on the display lifted straight up and disappeared into

the ceiling rigging... unveiling... The new Yamaha RZ-201 Twin

Rotor Motorcycle!

The crowd clapped, cheered, oooh and ahhhd. The bike

was a beauty. Camera flashes lit up like a Roman candle.

Slowly revolving around, the overhead lights reflected the

rich metal flake cinnamon brown-colored tank, accented by

twin white stripes, with a matching contoured tan leather

seat. The lower lights highlighted the radiator and showed

off the triple-plated chrome radiator guards, twin mufflers,

side covers, fenders, and wheel rims. The Yamaha Twin

Rotary was absolutely outstanding and stole the show!

A mid a barrage of questions and a sea of

reporters, the Yamaha rep stepped up to the podi-

um and explained that the RZ-201 was a water-

cooled Rotary with an oil cooler and had a 662cc twin rotary

engine that developed 68hp at 6500 rpm, using two Keihin

carbs. They stated that the twin rotors were uniquely posi-

tioned above a five-speed, tuned, syncro meshed transmis-

sion for better weight distribution, handling, and servicing.

The twin rotors were driven by a triple duplex chain and was

lubricated by Yamaha's new CCR system (Charge Cool Rotor

- the fuel/air mixture from the carburetor is mixed with oil for

cooling and lubrication of the twin rotors). The bike comes

with dual front disk brakes, which work independently of

each other for safety purposes. In the event of failure, one

brake does not negate the stopping power of the other. The

Rotary Twincontinued from previous page

112007 APRIL/MAY

RZ-201 also comes with

another Yamaha first, a

hydraulic rear disk brake sys-

tem. He went on and on and

revealed that Yamaha had

been working on this twin for

years. It was considered one

of the best kept secrets in the

industry. He ended his disser-

tation by pointing to the RZ-

201, stressing it was a fully

working and operational twin

rotary, that was tried and test-

ed, was scheduled for full pro-

duction, would be available at

all Yamaha dealers by mid

February, and that orders

were now being taken.

Well... needless to say,

the Suzuki R&D team stood

there staring, stunned, and

dumbfounded. One look at

this rotar y and they all

knew there was no doubt

about it: this sleek-looking

Yamaha twin "Roadster"

was a serious threat and

was going to give the

Suzuki RX5 single rotor a

run for its money, if not

bury it! It was at least two

years ahead in technology.

To add a little insult to

injury, Yamaha reps spotted

the Suzuki R&D team gawk-

ing at the RZ-201 green

with envy. They sent the two

shapely models over to give

them a gift. The first model

handed each a press

release packet, which con-

tained color photos, a facto-

ry spec sheet, boiler plate

media coverage copy,

promo spots, patches, pen-

cils, pricing sheets, etc.

The second model handed

each a cardboard tube that

contained a large RZ-201

wall poster, calendar, and

special first-day unveiling

factory brochure. And... An

RZ-201 order form!

PART 2:After recovering from the ini-

tial shock, the R&D Team

went back to the Suzuki dis-

play and discussed the RZ-

201. Some of the lingering

questions that kept gnawing

at them were:

1. How was this the bestkept secret in the indus-try? They could not believe

it was made at Yamaha, for

quiet inside sources would

have tipped them off.

2. The comment "workingon it for years" didn't fit.Where? With who?

3. Why did Yamaha bypassthe single rotor and gostraight to the twin?

4. Suzuki purchased a fullmanufacturing license fromNSU/Wankel. Honda and

Kawasaki purchased an

R&D license only (non-man-

ufacturing). What did

Yamaha have?

5. Where and who did thebike testing (bench andtrack)?


Sam Costanzo’s Rotary Recycle

showroom.

12 2007 APRIL/MAY

6. How did Yamaha come up with thismachine?

The answer to all of these questions is

a story in itself for another time.

Here is the important turning point:

The following Monday morning after

the show a special, top-level executive

meeting was held at Suzuki. They were

now faced with the cold fact and reality

that by mid-February 1973 the RZ-201

would be on the Yamaha showroom

floors. This translates into a major cut

of the early Rotary market and that

Yamaha, with its foot first in the door,

would capture at least minimum 75 per-

cent market share, thus regulating the

Suzuki Rotary to "Johnny Come Lately"

status. Not only that, but drawing peo-

ple into the dealers to see the

advanced RZ-201 would, in turn,

increase Yamaha's other model sales

as well.

F aced with this, Suzuki went

into a semi panic. They

were forced to speed

up their RX program, fast

track all Rotary testing, and

give priority and funding to

R&D for the twin Rotary.

They also pushed up

production of their new

RE-5 by a year and a

half. This was done

despite loud protests by

engineering, R&D, and

marketing. They felt that

by rushing the project would

create problems down the road.

Their protest was noted but was

overridden.

Between October and early February

of 1973, everything was still "fast

track." The two R&D teams were work-

ing diligently. The first R&D team work-

ing on the RX project was still ironing

out minor kinks in the single-rotor

engine. It attributed some of the prob-

lems through outside parts sourcing.

The second R&D RT team put together

two twin-Rotary engines (RT-13

#10013 and RT-14 #10014) and

were bench testing them. All

eyes were looking toward mid-

February when the RZ-201

would hit the Yamaha

showrooms.

February came and

went, and no RZ-201s

were to be seen any-

where. Most everyone

figured that they were on

their way, and Yamaha was just slow

in the delivery. The first half of March

had Suzuki R&D fitting a RT-13 Rotary

prototype engine into a test bed

machine using a slightly modified RX

frame. Twin testing continued both on

bench with RT-14 and now on the test

track with RT-13. Twin information is

somewhat sparse at this time. But

notes indicate that, though both

Rotaries ran, problems still persisted

with carburetion that had not been

ironed out. RT-13 was running on the

test track when the engine blew due to

seized main shaft bearings from lack of

oil and an ongoing problem of overheat-

ing. RT-13's engine was

pulled, and R&D took it

apart for inspection. It was never

reassembled. The second test model

using the RT-14 engine was put into the

RT-13 frame. This was put through

extensive and severe testing. Once

again, a few problems kept creeping

up. In any event, Suzuki was confident

in the R&D team and felt it was only a

matter of time before the "Twin"

was per fected. They sent an

encouraging memo to both R&D

teams telling them to keep up the

good work and that new improve-

ments in sealing, metallurgy,

coating, carburetion, etc., were

coming in shor tly from the

expanded NSU/Wankel main informa-

tion pool. By the end of April, all the

new technology improvements were

taken from the pool and were adapt-

ed into the RX single rotor and the RT

twin. This cured many of the problems,

but the twin carburetors were still a lit-

tle tricky at best -- with lingering glitch-

es surfacing. The adaptation of a fiber

insulator block from GM (General

Motors) and thicker gasket material


from CW (Curtis Wright) helped out quite a bit.

On May 1, 1973, Yamaha issued a press statement that

the RZ-201 would not be available until mid August due to a

minor assembly line teething problem. Hearing this

announcement, both Suzuki teams were jubilant, for it now

bought them three and a half more months time to work on

the engine. Now they were basically on an even keel with

Yamaha, as this brought them to within three weeks from the

next Tokyo Show in September where they could display the

next RX-5 single and the RT-Twin models. They could then

go toe-to-toe with the RZ-201. While the two R&D teams were

jumping for joy, Suzuki corporate saw the

statement as a red flag and did not

buy Yamaha's story. They

felt there was more to

the story than met

the eye and there

was more than an

assembly line

problem with the

RZ-201. At this point

several rumors started

to circulate:

1. Yamaha's RZ-201 Twin had

developed major engine prob-

lems, and it was back to the

drawing board.

2. Outside source part sup-

pliers for the RZ-201 were

running way behind schedule.

3. Yamaha really had an

assembly line problem and was

revamping it for better production flow.

4. Yamaha was trying to raise funds to manufacture the RZ-

201 by taking pre-production orders (?).

The real "zinger" was:

5. Inside sources claimed that the RZ-201 displayed at the

show was a dummy that did not run and that the high-pol-

ished engine and transmission cases were totally empty.

A t that point, the RZ-201 fell into limbo and disap-

peared. Over the next three and a half months,

the Suzuki R&D team continued work on the RX

single, and the RT-14 twin was still giving them some minor

sealing, heating, carburetor, timing chain, and transmission

problems due to its high torque. R&D pointed the finger at

outside source suppliers due to the "fast tracking" and that

their quality control left a lot to be desired.

B y late August 1973 there was still no sign of the

RZ-201. At this point and due to reliable source

information that the bike was a dummy,Suzuki

corporate discounted the RZ-201 as a false alarm and

moved ahead with the major decision to produce a twin

Rotary. But for the time being, and in view of the $90 mil-

lion+ already spent on the Rotary project, all the tooling was

geared for the single-rotor engine. They felt the best

direction to take was to get the RX-500 out

into the motorcycle mainstream to try

and corner the Rotary market, capture

a lion's share, and then offer a big

twin 1000cc Road Cruiser as a

new, complementary model

for the '77 season.

In September Suzuki

set up another fabu-

lous display at the

Tokyo Motor Show

featuring three RX-

5s: a burgundy, a

two-tone firemist

blue, and a two-

tone metal flake

green. The bikes

were the hit of the show,

and Suzuki followed suit and

copied Yamaha's giveaway (card-

board tubes with promotional

items in them, wall calendars, fac-

tory spec sheets, radio promos, etc.).

Yamaha had a nice display of bikes, but no RZ-201 nor any

mention of it whatsoever. The bike had disappeared. There

were, however, several other Rotaries at the show:

1. Sachs had five pre-mix, air-cooled W-2000 models -- two

red tanks (one with a Sachs name badge on the tank and

one with a Hercules name badge on the tank) that featured

a single KC27 engine, one yellow tank (with Hercules name

badge) that featured a KM24 single with a shaft drive using

a BMW transmission. They also had two other W-2000s: a

black tank with DKW badge and a blue tank with a Victoria

badge. They also displayed an inline, working KM914 "Big

Twin" Rotary engine that was going to be offered the follow-

132007 APRIL/MAY


ing year as an option (see photos posted). The only other

thing of note was that Sachs had two scantily-clad models

walking around showing off the new W-2000 Rotaries. Show

officials did not like their attire and politely asked them to

change their clothes.

2. NTV (Norton Triumph Villiers) had two twin-Rotary proto-

types on display. The first used a Sachs KM24 snowmobile

engine (all their R&D did was combine two snowmobile

engines). The other used a Sachs KM914 industrial engine

produced with the same R&D technique. These machines

looked used and tired.

Through the following year Suzuki R&D continued to

refine the RX engine, now called the RE and the RT

Twin. In September 1974, the full production 1975

RE-5M Rotary made its grand debut at the Tokyo Show. Once

again, it was an instant show stopper. On display was an RE-

5 in firemist red, one in firemist blue, plus and RX-5 bur-

gundy model. Though initial sales and reserve production

blocks showed a very promising future for the new RE-5,

sales started to fall off sharply by March 1975 after the pub-

lic and press put it through their own street and track test-

ing and long endurance runs. Problems with engine seals, first

and second gear, spark plug, and carburetion were the main

complaints. This led to "quiet recalls" to fix the problems.

This fast-tracking problems that R&D, engineering, and mar-

keting had warned about were now starting to surface.

M ost cycle magazines poked fun at the round

"softball" turn signals, Rolodex gauges, and

coffee can stop light assembly, none of which

helped the sales of the RE-5. Suzuki was aware that the

Italian space-age design was too ahead of its time and

reverted back to a more conventional look. However, since

they were losing serious money on the RE-5M, they opted to

give the RE a cosmetic face lift by using nearly everything on

the GT-750 shelf that would fit. They would now offer the

bike as a 1976 "A" model. With new improvements and cor-

rections to the engine, plus revamped styling, they hoped

this would turn everything around and boost Rotary sales.

Suzuki still felt that the Rotary was going to be the power

source for all future motorcycles. Needless to say, due to

financial circumstances, the RT-Twin was put on hold for

1976. But R&D could continue with their twin prototype and

experiments.

14 2007 APRIL/MAY


152007 APRIL/MAY

David Buck started his gaugerestoration business abouttwo years ago while restoring

a couple of early `70s Honda CB750Fours. The bikes needed gauges andDavid couldn’t find any new ones, soafter considerable research he decidedto fix them himself. The gauges turnedout well, David was asked to restore oth-ers and his business just snowballedfrom there.

The gauges are disassembled andrestored both cosmetically and mechani-cally. New wiring and factory light bulbs,as well as new faces and pointers areinstalled. The gauges are re-paintedinside and special green bulbs areinstalled for "better than new" illumina-tion at night. All restored gauges areguaranteed for one (1) year.

A lthough Honda CB750 gaugesare his specialty, Dave canrestore other Honda gauges

as well as those for Yamaha, Kawasaki,and Suzuki bikes. He can even do cus-tom faces and colors to suit individualtastes, and can fit red, amber and yellowif green bulbs are not desired. SeeDave’s color ad in this issue for exam-ples of his work. r

Meet theAdvertiser:Buck’s Vintage GaugeRestoration

In April R&D made some engineering

advancements and pulled RT-14

#10014 out of the frame (the engine

seized due a Mikuni #37 oil pump

going bad) and added RT-10 #10050

with rear disk brake assembly in its

place. They put it through more test-

ing. It performed smoothly without a

hitch and performed above everyone's

expectations. This all was due in part

to the addition of three new members

of the R&D team, who defected from

Yamaha and had worked directly on

the (now canceled) RZ-201 project.

They confirmed the rumors and

removed all doubt: the RZ-201 at the

show was not a "dummy" but a fully

operational twin "Rotary Rocket"

motorcycle that was scheduled for full

production. With them they brought

over inside information, notes and

hands-on twin Rotary experience to the

Suzuki RT program.

Note: RT-10 #10050 was a combina-

tion of the best of both engines -- the

RT and RZ Twins.

PART 3:The new R&D Team listened to sugges-

tions, tips, and recommendations

from riders, mechanics, and dealers

regularly, sifting through the many let-

ters pertaining to the complex, time-

consuming, and often antiquated

tasks in servicing the Rotary engine.

With this in mind, the new R&D Team

built and tested a revolutionary,

advanced, state-of-the-art Twin Rotary

(RT-10051) that was modular in design

and had enhanced servicing features

that meant that one no longer had to

disassemble the entire engine to

replace parts or do repairs. A few of the

enhanced service modifications made

were an oil sight glass next to the dip

stick, and an identical sight glass also

added to the clutch cover to monitor the

level of the transmission oil.

Next, the big clutch cover

got a treatment. The

"bulge" on the right-hand

side (185mm - 7-1/2 inches diame-

ter) had two 6mm Allen-head bolts on

the face. By removing the two bolts,

the face plate would come off, thus

exposing the complete primary drive

gear and clutch assembly and allow-

ing easy replacement of clutch plates

and disks. Also, the timing chain now

had a master link. A removable dis-

tributor assembly was added, with a

special access on the right side to

align the timing gear perfectly with

the alignment mark on the inside of

the case. The transmission, though it

seemed to be part of the complete

unit, was actually separate and could

be removed and replaced with a new

one within ten minutes. There were

continued on page 20

16 2007 APRIL/MAY

O n August 23rd

through the

25th, 2007,

members of the Vintage

Japanese Motorcycle

Club, North America, will

embark on the most

spectacular National

Event that has ever been

offered to them. For that

time and a few days pre-

vious, they will enjoy

some of the best riding

and doin’s in the United

States.

Precisely at the junc-

ture of the states of

Tennessee, Kentucky

and Virginia lies the won-

der ful quaint town of

Cumberland Gap. This

wonderful town is nes-

tled near the center of

Powell Valley that

stretches from Cove

Lake, Tennessee and

ending somewhere

beyond Pennington Gap,

Virginia. A few hundred

yards north lay the his-

toric passage across the

mountain which was carved by Daniel Boone and early set-

tlers into the new lands west.

It is with good reason then that this site has been chosen

many times by event planners of organizations such as the

Honda Hoot and a myriad of others as a special location to

host their activities and rides. Cumberland Gap has exactly

what it takes to accommodate travelers who have a keen eye

for a perfect setting in which to take in the hundreds of local

amenities. The historic Pinnacle overlooks the town and was

exchanged many times in the fighting by the armies of the

Confederate and the Union during the Civil War.

As soon as you enter this community, you are immediately

taken by the surrounding grandeur of the rocky escarpments

to the north. Seemingly within a stones throw from the town,

these hills are nearly endless for forty two miles east and west

of where you are standing.

V JMC® members are in for the time of their lives

when they attend the 2007 National “Rocky Top”

Rally in August. Among the early events for the

hardy will be a trip to the New River Gorge in West Virginia

via some of the best roads east of the Mississippi River.

Roads that will take you through places like Frog Level, the

2007: 30th Anniversary VJMC® National Rally at Cumberland Gap, Tennesseeby Pete Boody


172007 APRIL/MAY

The Pinnacle asviewed from theCourtyard atCumberland Gap,Tennessee.

Just one of the many trails found in

Cumberland Gap.

Why don’t you come and visit theBicycle Museum while you’re in town?

Webb’s Country Kitchen, a local favorite on Main Street.

The Cumberland Gap General Store, located in the heart of Main Street.

Natural Tunnel, highway 16 known for 30 miles of great

twisties and Burkes Garden, VA. You will not want to miss

this. Another pre-ride will be to Cumberland Falls which is

famous for its “Moon bows” during a full moon at night.

All of this and much more await you at “The Gap” and

this is previous to the start of the 30th Anniversary

“Rocky Top” Rally on the 23rd.

VJMC®, Chapter 1, “First Volunteers of Tennessee” will

host this amazing event and the things to do will be tough

to crowd into the three days. These will include a bike

show, rides, field games, banquet, story telling, tours to

Hensley Settlement, picnic, guest

speakers, evening social times,

awards, and oh yes, did I men-

tions rides?

Self guided tours to the

Pinnacle, Pine Mountain, “Mystery

Picture” location, the P-38F

“Glacier Girl” WWII fighter plane,

Cumberland Falls, and at least a

hundred more places await your

pleasure. Great rides as short as

5 miles away to whatever length

you desire lay ahead of you at the

30th “Rocky Top” Rally at

Cumberland Gap.

A n onsite Hotel with WIFI

and amenities is avail-

able at the reasonable

special event price of $74.99 plus

tax. The rooms are newly decorat-

ed and spacious. If you prefer,

there are many other motels just

across the state line in KY.

Holiday Inn Express, Best Western

Inn and Boone Trail Inn are all

within 5 miles of the fun.

You will not want to miss the fan-

tastic times to be had at the 30th

Anniversary, “Rocky Top” VJMC®

National Rally in Cumberland Gap,

August 20th - 25th. Be sure to visit www.vjmc.org and

email “Rocky Top” Rally info and let us know that you will

be coming. You can call the Cumberland Inn at 1-(423)-

869-9172 and mention “VJMC Rally” to get the special

Rally rate. r

18 2007 APRIL/MAY

National Rallycontinued from page 16

192007 APRIL/MAY

The Cumberland Gap Innhas 24 rooms reserved just for VJMC members at a special rate of$70.99/day. Call todayto make reservations:1-(423)-869-9172

Just part of the natural beauty

that you will find in Cumberland Gap.

Old Mill Bed and Breakfast.For information, call: 1-(423)-869-9839

Onsite rental cabin.For availability, call

1-(423)-869-9172

Some of the many craft and antique shops at the Gap.

eight different modular assem-

bly features on this engine,

which in essence made it a total

breeze to replace almost any

part, even by a novice. One of the

master features of this engine

was borrowed from Curtis Wright

working with General Motors engi-

neers. On the top left and right

housing assembly, there were

two aluminum caps held on by

two 5mm screws. Removing

the caps, which were very sim-

ilar to the timing inspection caps,

revealed a rotor at 12 o'clock. All one

had to do to change the main seals

was push them out one end and insert

the new one. The was reminiscent to the

Schick Injector razor blade (push the old one out and new

one automatically fell into place).

The last Twin R&D made was #10052. This engine was

also modular in design. The only differ-

ence was that this was fitted into a

shaft drive system. It was bench

tested, per formed excellent,

and was one step away from

being mounted into a frame

that had mag rims. This

Twin engine now had four

spark plugs (two for

each chamber). This

idea was borrowed

from Mazda. Then, all

of a sudden and out of

nowhere, R&D received

an executive notice from

the front office that the

Rotary project was can-

celed and should come to

an immediate halt. Any and all

production of the Rotary, includ-

ing R&D, should cease immediate-

ly. Thus ended the Twin Rotary

dream. Fortunately the technical advancements derived

from R&D were not in vain, for many of the ideas and

advancements can be found in Suzuki's later GS models.

20 2007 APRIL/MAY

Rotary Twincontinued from page 15

212007 APRIL/MAY

EPILOGUE:Though some of the RX and RP prototypes did get away from

Suzuki due to one thing or another, one point is assured --

Suzuki kept all the blueprints and prototypes of the Twin

Rotor models. They still have them tucked away in their

warehouse. Suzuki invested multi millions in their Rotary

dream and envisioned it as the power source of the future.

They were dedicated to that ultimate end. Even after the

Rotary project ceased, Suzuki was still a firm believer in the

Rotary and had hopes and aspirations that it would once

again evolve as a power source for future machines.

W ith the gas prices of today on a daily rise, a

second and third look at the Rotary engine is

being seriously considered by many compa-

nies... It has recently come to our attention that John

Deere has been doing some Rotary experimentation and

has come up with a new slant -- let the Rotary spin con-

stantly at 4,000-4,500 rpm. This would give the best gas

efficiency. A hydrostatic transmission that governs the

speed. Therefore, you have an engine running at one con-

stant speed and a transmission going through all the

gears automatically for you. Very unique and economical.

This would answer a multitude of questions and may be

the way to go. It's what Felix Wankel originally had in mind.

R otary Recycle has also shipped out KM914s,

KM24s, and KM27s to NASA in Cleveland, who

are doing extensive research. Also, we've sent

test engines out to Mercury Outboard and Aviation. Honda

currently has seven Rotaries in their R&D department run-

ning on hydrogen. Avion Corp. is manufacturing Rotaries

for the military R&D. Plus, there are other Rotary engine

manufacturers making new single and double units that

are available on the open market today. So, the Rotary

engine is not dead by any means. It is quietly alive and

well, and it's only a matter of time before technology, met-

allurgy, emissions, and gas efficiency push it to the fore-

front once again. r

Best regards,

Sam Costanzo

Rotary Recycle

Vid link: USA promo film:

http://www.vidilife.com/video_play_696181_RE5_Foreign.htm

European:

http://www.vidilife.com/video_play_696181_RE5_Foreign.htm

I spoke with the world's number one collector and

authority on rotary motorcycles, Mr. Sam Costanzo,

about his background and involvement with the RE-5.

How did you first get interested in rotary motorcycles?I was with Sachs, the General Motors of Europe, in the late

’60s. They were the importers of the Hercules Wankel

W2000 rotary bike [the first production rotary bike built]. I

was doing research on rotary engines at that time, and I got

into their distribution department. Suzuki bought the rights

to use the Wankel engine in the early ’70s. Mazda was also

one of the first licensees at that time too; probably about

70% of motorcycle manufacturers in the world at that time,

including Harley-Davidson, Triumph, and Honda, either

applied for or bought Wankel manufacturing or research and

development licenses.

Your background story reads like you were at the RE5press preview and Tokyo motor shows...were you?I was there. When Suzuki jumped on the Wankel bandwagon,

they had to share all their information with Sachs, and since

I was with Sachs at the time I got to attend those shows.

When did you start collecting rotary bikes?

I bought one of the first Hercules rotary bikes in 1970. It's

a shaft drive model with a KM24 snowmobile engine, and

only 50 were made. Before that point Sachs only sold

engines, not complete bikes, so I got in on the ground floor

with that.

I really liked the simplicity of the rotary engines; anybody

can fix them. If you open up a W2000 engine you would say

"Where's all the parts?" You don't have to be a master

mechanic. They are air-cooled whereas the RE-5 is liquid-

cooled, and a bit more complex.

My biggest complaint about the RE-5 is with the monster

fairing that Suzuki decided to install on them. [NEED A PIC

OF THIS!] The fairing goes from above the top of your head

to below your toes. It was a detriment more than anything,

because if you were passed by a

truck it acts like a sail and upsets

the bike quite a bit, and also they

trap a lot of heat, which not only

makes riding uncomfortable but

makes the engine run too hot and

attacks rubber parts. They were

very expensive, about $800 which

was a third of the $2499 price of

the RE-5, and Suzuki only made

200 or so of them. Most people

got rid of them.

How many Suzuki RE-5s do youown now?I have 300. When I started collect-

ing them, nobody wanted them.

You could buy them brand-new in

the crate up until 1980, 1981, for

about $1800 and if you bought two

of them the dealer would cut you a

deal at $1600 each. They couldn't

give them away. I used to run around to all these dealers

from Maine to California, buying the parts up. Because I

knew the people at Sachs and Suzuki so well they gave me

lists of dealers who still had them in stock. Not every dealer

could sell the RE-5s, by the way; they had to send at least

two mechanics to Suzuki's RE-5 school for training, and then

afterwards if the mechanic went to another brand's dealer-

ship, that Suzuki dealer wouldn't be able to service the

bikes. Some of the Suzuki dealers I knew asked me if I'd go

22 2007 APRIL/MAY

Sam Costanzo’s Rotary Recycleby Jason Roberts

1975 model featured this spacey flip-up instrument cover.

232007 APRIL/MAY

to the school in lieu of their mechanics.

Then when I was at the school I wound

up filling in for sick instructors for about

a year! I started going back and forth to

Japan and got to know the engineers

and R&D guys and we all became

good friends.

When they pulled the plug on the

RE-5, Suzuki actually had 40 foot

containers full of rotary-related mate-

rial at their California headquarters

that they were dumping, and I sal-

vaged some promo films from those

[Editors' note: these films can be

seen on the VJMC website].

How many RE-5s are out there now?How many members in the club?I'm not sure but I can tell you that

6,300 were made in total in the one

year they were produced, 1975.

When they couldn't sell all the ’75

models by August of that year, they

repainted the tanks black and

changed a few other bits such as the

instrument pods and the turn signals

and called them 1976

models. In fact I just

sold a brand-new

"1976" model in the

crate to someone in

New Zealand that orig-

inally said "blue" on

the crate, which was

blocked off and

"black" written over it.

Suzuki really was ded-

icated to this rotary

bike as the power

plant of the future;

they wanted to make

this work in every way.

They actually sent a

team of four engi-

neers to every author-

ized RE-5 dealer in the

country, who changed

out the instruments, turn signals and

tanks to make them all ’76 models.

In 1976, Uncle Sam came out of

nowhere with new emissions regula-

tions that specified catalytic converters

for all rotary-engine vehicles (including

cars and snowmobiles) by January

1977, and that's what really killed

them. The only rotary manufacturer

that escaped those regulations was

Mazda, and that's because Ford owned

50% of them at that time. Everybody

else – Sachs, Suzuki, Evinrude, John

Deere, etc., had to stop production due

to these new regulations.

Catalytic converters of that time

were just too bulky for bikes and

other small vehicles.

How's the parts availability?We have every part here in stock.

I bought most directly from Suzuki

and Sachs, ever since the late

’70s when the plug was pulled on

the rotary. I'd also visit dealers all

around the country and ask if they

had any rotary parts stock. Many

were more than happy to get rid of

the parts. Suzuki made the deal-

ers buy four or five thousand dol-

lars' worth of parts back then, so

there was a lot lying around.

Suzuki once called me and

asked if I wanted 50 brand new

rotary engines, and of course I

did. I've since sold about 30 of

those. If you call

Suzuki's Nor th

American headquar-

ters and asked

about rotaries,

they'd likely give

you my number.

Many dealers send

their customers' RE-

5s to me to be

rebuilt because they

can't fix them; we

just got two in last

week from Iowa. We

fix them, ship them

back to the dealer

and they give the

customer the bill.

This isn't uncom-

mon. We've gotten

them from Florida,

Illinois, Louisiana, all over...we got

eight of them after Hurricane Katrina


Top photo: The twin-rotor RZ-201 was never produced.Bottom photo: Yamaha's RZ-201 prototype bike from 1973.

24 2007 APRIL/MAY

W hat event brings out the best vintage Japanesebikes in the USA? If you’re thinking Mid-Ohio,think again. Last fall, southern hospitality

brought the VJMC back to the most exciting vintage motorcycleevent in the country, at the Barber Motorsports Park locatednear Birmingham, Alabama. We were again given a premier loca-tion just one hundred yards past the front gate, where all10,000 spectators passed through on their way to the biggestand best Japanese bike display and show of 2006.

What makes this event so special?Where else can you watch vintagemotorcycle racing on pavement anddirt? Where can you lose yourself forhours in the world’s largest motorcyclemuseum? Where can you meet JohnSurtees, the only World Grand Prixchampion racer on two and fourwheels? Where can you see thebiggest VJMC bike show display inNorth America? Where can you watchvintage aircraft stage a spectacularaerial dogfight? Only at the BarberVintage Festival, of course.

The Club worked closely with BrianSlark, Technical Consultant to theBarber Motorspor ts Museum, formonths leading up to the event. ExpatBrit Brian has a long history withBritish bikes but truly loves all motor-cycles, the rarer the better. We prom-ised Brian a diverse display of high-quality vintage Japanesemotorcycles to please any crowd of riders or restorers, and hehelped us book the prime real estate right next to the parkentrance and within a short walk to the museum. Even HelenKeller could find our spot.

Honors: In recognition of his generous support of ourvintage Japanese motorcycle mission, the VJMCBoard of Directors voted to bestow the first ever

Lifetime Membership Award to Mr. George Barber. The presen-tation was made on Saturday afternoon with past World GrandPrix Champion John Surtees attending. Mr. Barber was mostgrateful in accepting the honor amid many hearty rounds ofapplause, and those attending were proud that the VJMC Boardof Directors had honored one of the great motorcycle collectorsof all time.

Mr. Barber’s passion for motorcycles and vehicles of speed issecond to none. He has built the largest motorcycle museum inthe world and combined it with a spectator-friendly 700-plusacre racetrack complex. Best of all, he wants to share it with allmotorsport aficionados as a living museum. With over 900

motorcycles displayed in a five story dedicated building, visitorscan appreciate the racing heritage just by looking out its hugewindows.

The Setup: With many more months to plan this year’s event,we were able to build on last year’s inaugural event and plan afull weekend of activities. As the best laid plans of mice andmen inevitably get tested, Mother Nature decided to relieve thesummer drought over this weekend. Friday was blustery, cooland damp, yet the VJMC’s five EZ-Ups and two huge 10 by 20

commercial canopies (loaned by Yamaha) anchoring the sitewent up quickly. Throughout the afternoon, display bikes start-ed to gather in front. Old Glory and Japanese flags flapping inthe wind signalled a gathering spot for the early arrivals andVJMC diehards. Floridian Mike McSween displayed his rare H2factory road racer early before retreating for sunnier weather.

Wisely, the bike show area was roped off with donatedYamaha pennants to prevent a huge mud pit from formingovernight. The planned evening after-dinner ride to “29Dreams”, the local motorcycles-only campground about 15miles away, was limited to a few hardy souls. Nevertheless,spirits were high and all knew the best was yet to come.

Lloyd and Debbie Blythe arrived from South Carolina with theirfifth wheel loaded down with pancake batter, coffee, and syrupto fulfill a promise they’d made in 2005. They set up the break-fast hospitality area and for the next two days provided free pan-cakes and coffee to the VJMC crowd each morning. Debbie alsoworked hard as the official VJMC photographer for the event,something we lacked last year, chasing the perfect shot of oldgearheads displaying their pride-and-joy restorations. Lastyear’s late night cookout tradition was later reborn with a blaz-

Barber Vintage Festival 2006

by Tom Kolenko

252007 APRIL/MAY

ing grill, hot dogs, and adult beverages.Warren Mayes shared his wife Randy’saward-winning venison jerky with this car-nivorous group. Rain moved in later thatnight, but Saturday blossomed bright andsunny with temperatures eventually get-ting into the 70s.

Showtime: Saturday morningbegan slowly as more folks start-ed trickling into the park. Lloyd

and Debbie were up early making theirperfect pancakes and coffee for all pres-ent. Pristine bikes started to emergefrom trailers, pickups, and minivans. Alltold, we had 78 beautiful bikes entered inthe show. Although 100-plus bikes hadpre-registered, the threat of weekendraindrops must have kept some home. Inany case, the display was impressive toall entering the park or waiting at the freetram stop across the road. Excitementmounted as our numbers grew and spec-tators poured into the park.

VJMC volunteers worked the registra-tion table, handing out a schedule ofweekend VJMC events. Past PresidentJim Townsend chatted up the crowd.Membership Chair Bill Granade sold

memberships and regalia to all coming toour booth. Bill, an ex-Navy pilot, enjoyedthe noontime air show more than most.We had a perfect vantage point as thetwo vintage planes per formed barrelrolls, strafing runs, and close flying for-mations at breath taking speeds. Theirsound, speed, smoke trails, and daredev-il maneuvers thrilled this crowd against aperfect Alabama blue sky. What a bonusat a motorcycle event! Who knew vintageplanes would go so well with the vintagebike crowd?

A “People’s Choice” judging format wasfollowed with bike show balloting off to aslow start. We were getting worried asthere were two dozen show awards topresent and only 13 ballots had beencast by the midpoint of the judging peri-od. Fortunately, Becky Swick from Floridavolunteered to work the crowd. Shehelped turn the many show spectatorsinto voters by passing out ballots to folkschecking out the rows of gleamingJapanese iron. Soon, with over 100 bal-lots cast, the scoring job was trusted toSusan and David Kolenko, who toiled for90 minutes to identify the winners. Manythanks to our family members who regu-

larly work for this club’s success.Award Winners: VJMC award categories

were determined based on the preregis-tered entries by manufacturer to makesure that the awards were representativeof entries. This also insured that allawards were distributed. Each winnerreceived a 7 by 9 inch plaque with VJMClogo and event details. A special mini-tro-phy for the “Best Pancakes” award waspresented to Debbie & Lloyd Blythe dur-ing the ceremony.

The Barber Motorsports folksalso provided special eventawards created using their CNC

equipment in their restoration shop.Barber’s Technical Consultant Brian Slarksurprised us with these gems onSaturday morning. The four-inch anodizedand engraved works of machine art wereawarded to significant contributors to theevent: Ed Davis (TN), Hoyt Carroll (AL),Debbie Swick (FL), Art Bensheimer (IN),Bob Brandner (FL), Steve Passwater (IN),Troyce Walls (FL), and Lloyd Blythe.

In addition, all registered show entrantsreceived a complementary VJMC mug and


26 2007 APRIL/MAY

can of Honda spray polish (also gener-ously provided by the Barber team).

Sponsors: As our Barber VintageFestival activities have expanded into afull weekend event, so has the generosi-ty of several key supporters of the VJMC.First and foremost are the BarberMotorspor ts team, specifically Mr.George Barber, who has granted us a pre-mier display booth area each year.Additionally, the Barber team provided ourmembers who brought preregistered dis-play bikes two free weekend passes, a$70 value that was icing on the cake,along with special awards, and gifts. Thisyear the club was also granted parade lapprivileges on the track for Sunday, butthreatening weather canceled theseplans. Advanced preparations and plan-ning were made easier with the amazing

cooperation of Barber’s own Brian Slark,who scrambled all weekend to extendSouthern hospitality to our club’s mem-bers.

For 2006, Yamaha Motors helpedbring the VJMC’s Barber VintageFestival participation to the next

level. Steve Liberatore, Yamaha’sSoutheast Regional Manager, himself avintage racer, VJMC member, and gonzoenthusiast, made a huge difference inour ability to offer a fun-filled weekend.He loaned us two huge Yamaha displaycanopies, provided loads of banners, andbest of all sponsored the Saturdayevening barbecue dinner for 100 mem-bers and their spouses. This amazingfeast of lean barbecued pork and chick-en, slaw, spiced BB beans, and gallons ofsweet tea added notches on most belts.Big “thank yous” all around for bringingour members a Southern banquet onSaturday night!

People: As this event grows larger and

draws in more participants, it’s the VJMCfamily that makes it all worthwhile. Thenine VJMC state representatives attend-ing included: Paul Enz (FL), RodneyLangford (MS), Ray Amos (NC), WarrenMayes (NC), Mike Baker (AL), PastPresident Jim Townsend (IN), KennyThomas (KY), Lloyd Blythe (SC) and TomKolenko (GA). As the old sayinggoes…many hands make light work.Warren Mayes, Bill Evans, Lloyd Blythe,and my son David also helped the setupand teardown duties go smoothly.

2007 Barber Vintage Festival: It’s nevertoo early to begin planning for greatevents, so mark your calendar to attendthe 2007 Festival weekend on October19-21, 2007. Our goal is to have 100high quality Japanese bikes in our show,more rides for participants, and maybeeven a parade lap around the track. EveryVJMC member who enjoyed last year’sinaugural event was back and newcomershave all said they will return in 2007.Plan on being one of them! r

Barber VintageFestivalcontinued from previous page

n 1950s Honda1st Place: 2nd Place:1959 Dream CS76 1958 Dream METroyce Walls (FL) Troyce Walls (FL)

n 1960s Honda1st Place: 2nd Place:1962 CB77 1966 CB450Buck Mitchell (GA) Claude Mailloux (SC)

n 1970s Honda1st Place: 2nd Place:1979 CBX 1975 CB400FLloyd Blythe (SC) Steve Passwater (IN)

n 1980s Honda1st Place: 2nd Place:1984 VF500F VFR700Steve Passwater (IN) Roger White (TN)

n 1950s-1960s Yamaha1st Place: 2nd Place:1966 YM1 1963 MU2William Webster (MO) Lee Rybensky

n 1970s Yamaha1st Place: 2nd Place:1971 XS1B 1975 XS650 Street TrackerBarry Whitley (NC) Buck Mitchell (GA)

People’s Choice Bike Show Winners • Barber Vintage Festival 2006

n 1980s Yamaha1st Place: 2nd Place:1984 RZ500 1984 RZ350Kent Owens (GA) Ed Turner (GA)

n Best Suzuki1st Place: 2nd Place:1975 RE5 1974 GT750LBill Abdou (GA) Bill Abdou (GA)

n Best Kawasaki1st Place: 2nd Place:1973 Z1-900 1968 F4Jim Turner (KY) Brad Powell (GA)

n Best Off-Road Competition1st Place: 2nd Place:1969 Rickman DT1 Yamaha 1974 CR250 HondaBrad Powell (GA) Scottie Parks (TX)

n Best Road Race Competition1st Place:1963 Honda CR77Doug Swick (FL)

n Best Domestic Market (non USA) 1st Place:1957 Rikou RQ750Troyce Walls (FL)

272007 APRIL/MAY

This is a great website from our friendson the other side of

the Pond. VintageBike.co.uk(VBC) has an excellent rider'sforum, a free classified adssection for motorcycles, and abevy of merchandise relatedto classic bikes -- books,paintings, photographs, DVDs,various kinds of memorabilia,and even a "bike sounds" CD.

The VBC web site (www.vin-tagebike.co.uk) has a clearlyBritish/European emphasis,with enough material onAmerican and Japanese bikesto make it interesting to fansof other makes. Plus it's afun, quirky, and interestinggeneral resource.

Featuring photographs ofbikes from more than a hun-dred different manufacturersaround the world, everyJapanese manufacturer is rep-resented as well as a myriadother vintage classics. Some

of my personal favorites werethe Brough Superior (Lawrenceof Arabia's preferred ride), andthe Bultaco scramblers (includ-ing the first bike I ever crashed...). There are period photo-graphs of bikes and their rid-ers, pictures from motorcycleraces of yesteryear, and infor-mation and photos from adozen classic bike eventsaround the United Kingdom.

Bikes For Sale is the biggestsection of the site, withenough vintage action to makeyou weak at the knees. Ofcourse, you probably won't bebuying one of these gems anytime soon, but they will makeyou drool...even thoughthey're far away in England.

The User's Forum may bethe most useful section of thesite. There are separateforums for Japanese motorcy-cles, classic bike racing, etc.,and this is a great way to learnfrom other people's trials and

tribulations. Check it out.Maybe someone back inBlighty has the answer you'relooking for.

Other site offeringsinclude some fasci-nating motorcycle

histories, such as Motorcyclesat War; DVDs on classic bikesand one on advanced police rid-ing techniques that I think Ishould get; and, for the big kidin you, check out SuperiorSounds of Classic RacingBikes. This CD is filled with thesounds of over 70 differentmotorcycles tearing around thetrack -- all famous racing bikesfrom 1948 - 1974. For a pre-view, go to www.vintagebike.co.uk/Sounds.htm. That pagehas some free sounds (about150 different bikes) that aren'ton the CD.

The most fun I had was withthe free movie clips from the1960s and '70s -- 14 of them

in total, including several Isleof Man TTs. The files are inWMV (Windows Media Player)format, which are playable onPCs and Macs.

For me, reviewing this sitewas a real trip down MemoryLane. There were photo-graphs of most of the motor-cycles I've owned, ridden,and loved, including myJapanese machines -- and Ieven got to hear a couple ofthem revving their enginesagain courtesy of the on-linesound archives. The "vroomvroom" factor on this site isway high.

Also check out the storyfrom 2003 about the Britishguy who rode 17,000 milesaround the United States andCanada on his 1951 VincentBlack Shadow. He has ownedthe bike since 1961 and hadalready toured New Zealandand Australia on it beforecoming here! r

CyberBiku: http://www.vintagebike.co.uk/The (British) Home of Vintage and Classic Motorcyclesby Erik Ness

Mr. Fuji is back with more tipsfor the New Year. The firstdeals with front fork disas-

sembly. The problem I usually encounterinvolves the removal of the bottom boltunderneath the fork slider [bottom tube]which releases the upper tube. I used torelease the spring tension by unscrewingthe top cap, removing the spring, and thentrying to unscrew the bolt only to have thewhole mechanism spin inside. An impactwrench usually does not help in this case.What I have discovered, purely by acci-dent, is that by leaving the cap and springstill installed, the tube remains under ten-

sion and keeps the inner mechanism fromspinning, and the bolt comes right out. Forthis method an impact wrench is suggest-ed as it helps break the bolt loose. Youcan do this with the forks on or off thecycle. Remember to drain the oil first orhave a suitable catch pan under the forkswhen the bolt is removed. After the bolt isremoved, take off the top cap and removethe spring and attendant parts.

T he second tip is another use forthe Eastwood tin-zinc platingsystem. If brake hoses are not

cracked or weathered I will reuse them.

Many times the banjo fitting is not verypresentable. I simply clean and flush thehose with brake cleaner, then bead blastthe fittings and hose, cleaning them upnicely. Then a jumbo paper clip is placedthrough the banjo end to conduct currentand using the Eastwood plating system Iplate each end. A light buffing with a brassbrush and a little clear coat and they lookas good as new. I have installed thesereconditioned hoses on some of myrebuilds for almost seven years now whichare just now showing signs of aging.

Ignorance is the night of the mind, but anight without moon and stars. r

by Roger Palmer

Mr. Fuji’s Sushi:Fork Surgery and Brake Line Resurrection

28 2007 APRIL/MAY

A ny motorcyclist not living in a cave during the late’70s will know the Yamaha RD400. This screamin',smokin' lightweight was probably THE most popular

two-stroke street machine of its time, and ironically, one of thelast to be imported to the US of A. Because, by 1975, our dearfriends at the Environmental Protection Agency had made itplain to the Big Four Japanese moto-makers that smoky bikeswere out, bye-bye. And so while Yamaha was busy cranking outthese zippy little sportbikes, their R&D people were in the backbuilding, busily engineering the next generation of four-strokersto replace the RD, at least for the US market (overseas, Yamahagraced the motorcycling world with their next-generation liquid-cooled LC and RZ models for another decade...but that's a talefor another day). Nothing Yamaha made to follow up the RDachieved quite the cult status of that bike, however. The RD iseasy to hop up, and so many (mainly youthful) RD ownerstrashed the stock pipes for expansion chambers, added "cafe"-style bars, ported the engines, etc. etc., and then – as so oftenhappens with racy bikes – threw them down the road. As a result,it's become very difficult to find a clean, unmolested, un-crashedexample...a fact that's reflected in their appreciating values. r

• Jan 20: 1979 Daytona Special model, only 2751 miles, very nice condition, bid up to $2650 but the auction was ended early.

• Jan 17: 1976 model, 22000 miles, rebuilt engine and in good running condition, finished at $3000

• Feb 18: 1976 model in rare green color, 5656 miles, undamaged but slightly dirty, running in original condition (except for period sissy bar – yuck!), $2750

• Feb 18: 1978 model, 18775 miles, decent shape with some "cafe racer" add-ons such as expansion chambers and low bars but otherwise stock, $2450

• Feb 26: 1976 model, another green one, 10007 miles, very clean stock condition, high bid was $2300

• March 1: 1976 model in red, 21874 miles, barn fresh, decent complete condition but definitely a fixer, went for $770

• March 6: 1977 model in blue, 23881 miles, very nice stock condition, sold by a dealership, this one finished at $2750

EBay Watch: Yamaha RD400by Jason Roberts

Mystery Photo

Take a close look at this photo and tell me what

it is. Then join us at the 30th Anniversary

"Rocky Top" VJMCR National Rally at

Cumberland Gap, Tennessee, August 23 - 25, where we

will take a special ride just to see this and several other

local mysterious structures. If you can guess the exact

name of the image in this photo, you will receive free

admission to the"Rocky Top" Rally. Regularly, it’s a

$45.00 fee. To submit your answer, contact Pete at vjm-

[email protected]. Please visit our website often for fur-

ther scheduled event posting at the Rally. r

Do you know what this is?

292007 APRIL/MAY

My one and only ride on a Bridgestone was unbeliev-ably exhilarating...but nearly disastrous. In 1971,I was a student at Miami University in Oxford,

Ohio. One sunny Saturday afternoon in Spring I found myself inthe well-known local pub, the “Purity”. I had my motorcycle hel-met with me in the booth when a fellow rider noticed it and start-ed a conversation. I told him about my hot 1969 Honda CL 175Scrambler, and in turn he gushed about the virtues of his newBridgestone GTR 350. “Bridgestone,” I said, “I have seen thembut never ridden one. It sounds really cool.”

At that, he tossed me his keys and said, “Take it for a spinand tell me what you think.” I was terribly surprised, but he did-n’t have to ask me twice. I was quickly outside and astride hisbrand new red and chrome Bridgestone GTR 350. I fired it upand immediately discovered that its gearbox definitely had a dif-ferent shift pattern than my Honda. The Bridgestone's gears

were selected by push-ing down, the reverseof the Honda's gearboxaction. I thought it wasfunny, but it didn’t takelong for me to get usedto it...or so I thought.

I zoomed off on avery pleasant – andrapid – trip through therural countryside around Oxford. Yes, this baby could really fly.As I returned to the downtown area the sidewalks were packedwith pedestrians moving in all directions. What a perfect time toshow off a bit on High Street, the town's main drag. Rippingquickly through three low gears, I held the throttle at mid rangerpm in third gear, the bike howling an ear-piercing two strokewail – just to make sure the crowds knew who was coming.

I don’t remember the particular distraction that affected me,but as I held it in third I decided it was time to gently shift intofourth and just glide along the street without being too much ofa scofflaw. Unfortunately, because the shift pattern was just theopposite of what I was used to, I mistakenly moved the lever notinto fourth but second gear! What intended as a gentle blip ofthe throttle immediately shot the front wheel skyward to nearly45 degrees.

As the front wheel continued to claw up towards the sky,the engine shrieked towards redline and I struggled notto fall off backwards. Free from contact with the pave-

ment, the handlebars wobbled wildly from side to side. Terrorgripped me as I understood that disaster was imminent if I could-n't get them straight when I landed. I could see the pedestrians,mouths opened and staring in disbelief as this blue smoke-puffingbike tore down the street. I noticed with horror that I was quicklyclosing on a stopped car in front of me; I could see the utterly sur-prised faces of its four passengers who had turned to see a crazedmotorcyclist bearing down on them like a missile. As I stomped therear brake hard, the front wheel dropped like a rock and my chestslammed down on the gas tank. Fortunately the Plexiglas helmetvisor precluded the need for a new set of teeth as my facebounced off the handlebars. Dazed, helmet down on the handle-bars, I realized that I was still alive, and steadied the motorcycle.As I dared to look up, and as fool’s luck would have it, I saw thatI had stopped just a foot short of his bumper. People were point-ing and laughing as I realized just how close I came to vehiculardisaster and social disdain.

Slowly and gingerly I rode it around the block, finding a park-ing spot in front of the Purity. As I slunk back into the darksmoky interior of the pub, the Bridgestone's owner saw me andasked “How was it? Did you have any problems?”

“Nah,” I replied nonchalantly. “Piece of cake, but that IS onefast bike you have there!” r

My Afternoon On A Bridgestoneby David Hellard, VJMC Field Rep, Ohio

Dazed, helmet down on the handle-

bars, I realized that I was still alive,

and steadied the motorcycle.

30 2007 APRIL/MAY

that we rebuilt from the ground up. That was insurance work.

I had no idea there were so many people out there still tak-ing them to dealerships!They don't have much choice if they don't know how to fix the

rotaries. There ARE some dealers whose mechanics have

attended Suzuki's rotary service

school, but those are very rare – from

California to Maine there are maybe 20

dealers – who still have mechanics who

went to that school. Not many are left

now. I can walk service people through

the repair process if needed, and I can

supply the parts. If that doesn't work I

have trucks to go pick up these bikes

anywhere in the States, not only for

repair but also for our own inventory.

So you can basically do anything forRE-5s – rebuild them, supply parts,etc?There is no part on an RE-5 that we

don't have in stock – new, used, or

rebuilt. If you want an NOS engine or

frame, I have them. I've accumulated

the biggest inventory of RE-5 parts in

the world.

We're also doing things with the RE-5

now that Suzuki would have done, were the bike still in pro-

duction. We have a belt drive model and are working on a

shaft drive model now. We also have a twin rotor engine that

we're developing too.

What is the current price range for RE-5s, from beater toshow bike?Even a beater will often have some valuable parts that can

be salvaged, like the CDI box and the carburetor, so that's

at least $500 worth right there. For a fixer, something that's

decent but needs a bit of work, maybe $2500 to $3000.

Really nice examples are bringing $4-5000, and for "show

quality," you're talking eight grand. I've seen one in museum

quality go for $12,000 on Ebay.

What goes wrong on RE-5s? Actually, they are very reliable. Most of the problems are

caused by the owners who fail to change the engine oil and

air filter. The biggest problem I find with bikes that come in

to our shop is with air filters that have disintegrated over

time and have been sucked into the engine. When you

change the oil and air filters, you will not have any problems.

We have bikes with over 100,000 hard miles on them that

run fine. The one thing the Suzuki engineers told me about

the RE-5 is, change the oil regularly!

Some people were leery of rotaries due to alleged problemswith their internal seals. What's your take on this?

Let me tell you, Mazda did

more damage to the

rotary's image than anyone

else. When Mazda came out

with their rotary-powered

Cosmo and RX-2 in 1966-7,

they sent the rotor seals

[located at the apex of the

three corners of the internal

rotor] to be case-hardened

to an outside company; they

didn't do the work them-

selves. Whoever did it, did it

wrong and that caused

Mazda a lot of problems

with those seals, and every-

body heard about it.

Suzuki and Sachs had the

seals fixed by the time

they'd designed their

Wankel engine bikes. Sachs

found someone to do the

job right from the start and

never had a problem. Suzuki did have a problem with one of

their seal suppliers, and they fixed all the engines and made

them right before they put them into bikes, but the bad rap

persisted for years. You could be sitting in a bar and mention

the RE-5 and someone will tell you "Hey, you know some-

thing? Your bike's got bad seals!" To this day I can't live it

down... the rumors persist. I can't get away from it...it fol-

lows me wherever I go!

Do you think or hope that someone will produce anotherrotary bike in the future?

I don't know about a rotary bike, but I can tell you one

thing: we have sent out a lot of engines to NASA and the US

Army for testing. Honda is currently testing a double-rotor

engine that's hydrogen-powered. There's still a lot of interest

in this type of engine. I'm not saying it'll be resurrected, but

I think there's a future in this technology. Eventually it may

return. r

Sam Costanzo’scontinued from page 23

1975 RE-5. Owner:

Russell Jenkin

312007 APRIL/MAY

Classifieds

R Remember that, a ‘Vintage Japanese’ motorcycle is 20 years or older (cut-off for this year is 1987) and, of course, Japanese.Please be aware that ads may/will be edited to conserve space. Don’t feel reluctant to use punctuation and proper case onemailed ads. Don’t forget the publication deadlines. Ads are due by the 20th of the month in which a magazine is issued for

the NEXT release. For example, ads for the August 2007 magazine will be due to the editor by June 20th. If you have business relatedads, please consider taking out a commercial ad. Contact me for details and rate information.

Send all ads to: Gary Gadd, 3721 Holland St., Ft. Worth, TX., 76180 • (817) 284-8195 • e-mail: [email protected]

rrrrrrrrrrrrr

FOR SALE

Bridgestone

1967 Bridgestone DT175. Full restorationfrom the crankshaft up on an unmolestedearly bike using all NOS parts. Could be thebest example in the world. Great opportuni-ty for the serious collector. $4,000. JohnPavich, (928) 714-9610, Flagstaff, Arizona,jpavo@npg cable.com

For 1968 Bridgestone 60 Sport. Gorgeousun-restored red with only 2800 originalmiles. Every piece correct and original, runsperfect and appearance is 9 out of 10.$1850 includes many spare NOS parts andmanuals. John Pavich, (928) 714-9610,Flagstaff, Arizona, jpavo@npg cable.com

Honda

1970 Honda 750 KO. EXCELLENT condi-tion! 4986 actual miles, original owner,paper work, owners manual, shop manual,tool kit, etc. Extra accessories:"Windjammer"fairing, back rest, crash bars,fuel gauge. All original except: battery, tires,exhaust. Info & pictures available. Seriouscollectors only please! Keith Wilson,(248) 496-0306, [email protected]

Manuals: Clymers, M321, for 125-200ccTwins, 1964-1977, still in shrink wrap.Inter tec, for Honda 350-1000cc FourCylinder, 72 pages, copyright 1975. Interec,for Honda 124-305cc, Two Cylinder, 80pages, copyright 1975. The Intertec manu-als are new, no grease, not used in shop.some wear on covers from sliding in and outof shelf, good condition. I would like $10each for the manuals, or all three for $25,Plus shipping in US. Cash Check or MOafter they clear. Mike Hopper, Indiana,[email protected]

For Older Hondas, Top End Gasket Kits.70cc-900cc singles, twins and fours. Alsopoints and condensers for most. Gasketsets for many older Kawasakis andYamahas. Points and condenser for themalso. William Mack, (865) 983-4204, 2329Airbase Road, Louisville, Tennessee,37777-4024, [email protected]

Old Honda Projects. Several each S65,S90, CA200, CB/CL160, CB77, etc. Sell ortrade all for Italian Motorcycles or scooters.Pat, (847) 328-5789, Evanston, Illinois

For 1960s Honda, just picked up large boxof NOS Honda fork ears and fork covers.Quantity 50+. Some have p/n some do not.Factory painted and some primered. Mostly‘60s stuff. Send email with model # or P/Ncenter code. And I will send image(s). PaulEnz, Titusville, Florida, [email protected]

For 1960/80 Honda, Manuals. I have manyhigh quality replica dealer counter styleillustrated parts manuals and some serv-ice/shop manuals for 1960s Hondas 50ccto 450cc. Email for the model that youneed. Mike Dyer, [email protected]

1960-1980 Honda parts. I have approxi-mately.1 ton of used but very good condi-tion vintage Honda Body par ts,Speedometers, Tachs, Tanks, Front Ends,Fenders for little Hondas to 750 parts.Some other Big 4 parts included. Needsomeone in Florida to inspect and give bestoffer, ready to sell now. I have some picsbut a lot of parts are in boxes. RickThompson, Dade City, Florida (North ofTampa), [email protected]

Honda NOS and used parts for S65, 160s,CB400A, CA95 150cc, CT70, CS90, Z50Rand VT500 Ascot. NOS speedometers,Rubber, Gas tanks, mufflers and a lot ofuseable stuff. Trades ok. All must go. email

for info. Name: Paul Enz, Titusville, Florida,[email protected]

Hondas. 10-12 bikes, some of which havetitles. Others may only be good for head,jug, crankcase finning, etc. Yet, others aremuch more complete. Everything must goas a single sale or partnership. I will consid-er partial trade for British motorcycle,GB500, and cash. Your understanding isappreciated. It would be best if you are inclose proximity. Additionally, I have the fol-lowing and most are barn-fresh, while a feware junkyard skeletons: 160 cc Roadsters,150 cc Dreams, 250 Dream? 305Scrambler, a 250 & 305 junkyardScramblers, CB350 carcass with engine,some tanks, mufflers, and other parts. TomCrofoot, (517) 223-7108, Fowlerville,Michigan

Honda side cover for engine. '60-70s? stillin brown paper Honda part bag with parttag, #11431-216-000. I think this is for aCD175. Looks just like the ones on my CL175 and CA160. "Honda" on the side. $30plus postage in the US. Mike Hopper,Indiana, [email protected]

For 1960s Honda C200, early Mikuni carb.$25. Bob Shields, (207) 346-6791,Mechanic Falls, Maine

1962 Honda Model: C72. 250cc. Fullyrestored, perfect, correct original whiteearly Dream. Show winning quality for theserious collector. Only 250 of these built in1962. This is a CA72 that I have convertedto the flat steel handlebars from the C72using all NOS parts, and also comes with allthe original handlebars and controls, whichare the very rare early style. $7500. JohnPavich, (928) 714-9610, Flagstaff, Arizona,jpavo@npg cable.com

For Honda Step Through 50cc, many plas-

32 2007 APRIL/MAY

Classifieds rrrrrrrrrtic parts. Brand new. Walter Kimmel, (718)851-1237, Brooklyn, New York

Right Side Handlebar Switches: HondaCB/CLs 175cc through 450cc. William Mack,2329 Airbase Road, Louisville, Tennessee,37777-4204, [email protected]

1968-82 Honda 350/360/400/450. Ihave begun parting out about 23 Honda350-450s. Also have some NOS parts forsame. I invite all VJMC members to drop byand see what I have. Steve Horton, (717)532-6147, Roxbury, Pennsylvania

1969 Honda SS125. 8000 miles, limitedproduction, original owner, runs good, storedinside, original paint. $1750. George, (586)286-3793 Macomb, Michigan

For 1970 Honda CT70, parts. Front forkslide pipe, front cushion upper and underholders, #65 carb jet. All used. Bob Shields,(207) 346-6791, Mechanic Falls, Maine

For 1970/80s Honda CB750/650/900/1100, new OKI MPS-200 sparker units.remanufactured with significantly improvedelectrical properties using FET-technology.Ready to ride. $115 USD ppc. Further info bymail. Bernie, Germany, [email protected]

For 1970? Honda SL100, engine. Manyparts missing, crankshaft turns O.K. $100.Bob Shields, (207) 346-6791, MechanicFalls, Maine

1976 Honda XL350. Black, great restorationproject, all original, $500. Scot, (586) 468-8472/(586) 484-6939, Macomb, Michigan

1977 Honda CB550F Super Sport. Verygood original condition. 4 into 1 exhaust,trunk with back rest, 9799 original miles.Runs great, $1750. Larry W. Lawson, (239)283-6198, 3670 Outrigger Lane, St. JamesCity, Florida, 33956

New Parts. For 1981 Honda CB750Custom, crash bar with built-in foot rests.For CB/CL450 K4 and K5, sissy bar. ForCB350 Four, solid hexagon sissy bar. ForCB750 K2-K4, rectifier. For 1969/78CB750, K&N air filter. Cans of old factorycolor paint for Japanese bikes, Maico andPenton.

William Mack, 2329 Airbase Road,Louisville, Tennessee, 37777-4204,[email protected]

1992 Honda NR750. Landmark oval pistonengine. Under 3000 miles, one of 300 man-ufactured. Excellent condition. Importedfrom Kyoto Japan. Perfect for serious collec-tor or investor. Frank Berkowitz, (608) 270-1170, [email protected]

Kawasaki

1968 Kawasaki W2TT 650cc Commander.Original owner, 12000 miles, ran andlooked great at time of storage in 1989.Pickled and free engine. Original tool kit,owners manual, shop manual. $2000.Richard Dreuser, (262) 681-0519, 2526Sunrise Rd, Racine, Wisconsin, 53402

1973 Kawasaki MC1 90cc. Mini enduro,red, 5-speed with clutch. $800 obo. ScottKendall, (817) 658-4275, Grand Prairie,Texas, [email protected]

Oil Pressure gage for Kawasaki Kz900 and1000. Includes fitting.William Mack, 2329Airbase Road, Louisville, Tennessee,37777-4204, [email protected]

1977 Kawasaki KH400. This bike is in run-ning condition, but needs restoration. I wasgoing to attempt it, but I finally quit kiddingmyself. Email me for photos. Tracy,(814) 280-2014, Central Pennsylvania,[email protected]

1978 Kawasaki KZ 650SR. Extremelyclean. Mint condition with only 5600 miles.Everything is fully functional and original.Not a restoration bike, just well taken careof over the years. I hate to sell, but I have ababy on the way. Asking $2500 obo. JonStridiron, (313) 937-1367, Detroit,Michigan, [email protected]

Marusho

1962 Marusho Lilac MF 39 Lancer(MarkV). 300cc. The bike is in decentrestoring conditions. Write us at our e-mail,we will be answering you right away. Cesar,5679317/Jorge, 98489679, Peru, SouthAmerica, [email protected]

Pointer

1963 Pointer PS-6. Rare. It is a 125cc sin-gle with electric start! 1832 miles, still hasthe factory break-in sticker on the sidecover. Good compression, turns over nicely.Generally good shape, the inside of the gastank is like new, rubber tank pads are verygood, original tank badges are in goodshape, chrome is fair overall. Original facto-ry tool kit, and documentation (no title,since it has not been registered to myknowledge), original owners manual as wellas a color copy, ignition key and some othermisc stuff that is all included. Just emailme for more information and photos. AllenSiekman, (831) 336-3621, Santa Cruz,California, [email protected]

Suzuki

1972 Suzuki TS185. Old classic enduro.$450. Scot, (586) 468-8472 / (586) 484-6939, Macomb, Michigan

1972/75 Suzuki GT380/550. Have a col-lection of 380 and 550 GT bikes, parts.Two nice rollers, complete. No paper. Extramotors, exhausts, frames, much more.$1000 for all. Art Tanner, (518) 789-0244,Millerton, New York, [email protected]

Suzuki GT750 & T20 X6 Hustler. Lots ofgood parts. Please e-mail me with your itemneeds for availability and price. DrewFontenot, (337) 684-6679, Church Point,Louisiana, [email protected]

Yamaha

Yamaha Parts. New vintage Yamaha parts.Our dealership is remodeling and wants toliquidate vintage inventory. Please call 1-800-632-4075 for inquiry on vintage parts.Cheyenne Yamaha, (877) 632-4075,Cheyenne, Wyoming, [email protected]

1966 Yamaha YL1. 100cc, great partsbike, complete, motor stuck, no title $100.Pete Paulsen, (319) 296-6726, Waterloo,Iowa, [email protected]

For 1968 to 1998 Yamaha, Parts. I haverecently acquired a large lot of vintageYamaha motorcycle parts from 1968 to1998 including pistons rings electrical

332007 APRIL/MAY

Classifieds rrrrrrrrrparts. I could save members quite a bit.Larry McGee, (205) 269-6091, Haleyville,Alabama, [email protected]

1968 Yamaha YJ2. 60cc, nice original con-dition. 1391 miles, new tires and battery.Missing stand, no title, $300. Warren,(336) 874-3096 North Carolina

For 1979 Yamaha RD400F Daytona, parts.Gas tank no rust painted yellow with gascap, headlight shell, ignition lock set withkey, oil tank wiring harness, front fenderstock paint, rear cowl, pictures available,good tach. Make offer. George Ratterman,(336) 887-3494 call between 7-9 pm EST,Thomasville, North Carolina, [email protected]

1979 Yamaha RD400 Daytona. 4237 mi.DG swing arm, Spec Two pipes, 33 Mikuniwith Spec Two jets, welded crank, electron-ic ignition, new tires battery, chain, fast andreliable, $2700 or offer. George Ratterman,(336) 887-3494 call between 7-9 pm EST,Thomasville, North Carolina, [email protected]

MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS FOR SALEI sell used parts for just about all Japanesebikes from 1970-1986, give me a call ifyou need something I may have it here inand I can ship it to you. I take Paypal too. EdAllegretti, (585) 928-2483 Bolivar, New York,[email protected]

Gaskets. Please visit our Web site atwww.gasketstogo.com. We can make anykind of gasket, and there are NO tooling,set-up, or minimum order charges for mostgaskets. We can make individual gaskets,or small production runs, to keep yourmachine running. Gaskets-To-Go CustomGaskets, (661) 985-1218, [email protected]

Metric stainless fasteners for your vintageJapanese motorcycle. Many models tochoose from, or custom order! (330) 519-4772, www.stainlesscycle.com

Keys

H and T series and also some new oneswith no letter prefix. Let me know your code

and I will check stock. $8 each shipped tolower 48. Mike Schmeisser, (404) 386-7180, Atlanta, Georgia, [email protected]

For earlier model Honda, Suzuki. We alsocarry a lot of NOS parts for all 4 Japanesebrands, and have over 16,000 differentgaskets at our disposal. Open Tues-Saturday, 9-6 (we close at 4 on Saturday)and are closed on Sunday and Monday.Queen City Motorcycle, (931) 648-4355,Clarksville, Tennessee, [email protected]

Key blanks for classic vehicles! We stockkeys for cars, trucks, buses, motorcyclesand even some airplanes. Visit our web siteto browse our catalog and order online, orto request help finding the key you need:http://www.key-men.com Key Men - Keysfor Classics, Monroe, New York, [email protected]

For 1958/85 Honda, Kawasaki, Keys. Over4000 Genuine Honda precut and numberedabsolutely genuine original keys. Send codenumber which is stamped on the face ofyour ignition switch or fork lock, later mod-els only had the number on the key. $5each plus $1 postage for any quantity, andan additional dollar for credit card paymentif desired. I also have 250 old KawasakiNOS keys and a few Suzuki. I can cut dupli-cate Suzuki keys for the same price. BarrySulkin, (310) 398-6406, Culver City, (LosAngeles) California, [email protected]

Have about 1000 NOS Yamaha keys. Somewith 3 digit numbers. $5 each + $1 ship-ping in the US. Same shipping for as manyas you need. E-mail me with the numbersyou need and I will check and see if I haveit. Mike Bruch, (913) 256-6878,Osawatomie, Kansas, [email protected]

For 1960s-70s Honda, Keys. "H" & "T"keys. These are new OEM keys. Send orcall me the key # you need. Example:T7614 or H1302. I will let you know if I havethem. If so they are $10.00 for two (2) keysplus shipping. Mark Troutman, (503) 703-8511, Portland, Oregon, [email protected]

WANTED

Honda

For 1960 Honda CS76 Dream Sport, leftmuffler, all muffler shields, etc. most anyshape. Ed Wilcox, (248) 388-1342, Fenton,Michigan, [email protected]

1960s Honda Dealer Magazine. I have sev-eral duplicate first series Honda Dealermagazines such as HONDA # 1 1962, etc.that I would like to trade for ones I do nothave. Please e-mail with what you have andthe condition. I would rather trade than selloutright, but am open to offers. Jim Smith,(805) 968-9748, Goleta, California,[email protected]

1960s Honda Cuby engines, parts, andassembly manual (Copy OK). Have copies ofCuby Owners Handbook and parts list toshare. Tom Kolenko, (770) 427-4820,Atlanta, Georgia, [email protected]

For 1960s Honda C900 90cc, parts. Goodused or NOS. Bob Shields, (207) 346-6791, Mechanic Falls, Maine

For 1969/73 Honda CB750, looking forsteering lock #1997. Also fits 125-750ccHondas from the same time period. AllanLandry, (506) 849-4612, Saint John, NewBrunswick, [email protected]

Seeley 750cc Honda. Would prefer a com-plete bike but I will consider anything with acomplete Seeley frame. Will also considerSeeley Suzuki or Seeley Kaw. Please con-tact me with info and price. T. J. Seeley,(706) 467-3691, Mid Georgia,[email protected]

1976 Honda CB200T. Looking for CB200Tand CL200 complete bikes and or parts.Must be in good shape and fair price. Willtravel to pick. Also looking for CB & CL 175parts and bikes. for personal collectiononly, not a dealer. Looking for cafe partsand information/tips on making fiberglasscafe parts for above bikes Any help is wel-comed. James D. Nold, Sr., (682) 553-2531, Azle, Texas, [email protected]

34 2007 APRIL/MAY

Classifieds rrrrrrrrrKawasaki

For 1966 Kawasaki (Kenkay) Omega125cc? looking for the engine, and sidecovers for a Kenkay Omega (In JapanKawasaki B-1? or B-2?). Will take the wholebike as well. Contact Chris Rosenquist,(612) 207-5532, Minnesota, [email protected]

For 1969 Kawasaki W2TT. I am looking fora crankshaft. I will consider anything fromjust the crank to a whole bike. Trades arealways a good thing. Kevin Dean, (603)664-5248, Strafford, New Hampshire,[email protected]

For 1973/75 Kawasaki Z1 900, looking fora nice set of side covers or either side.Allan Landry, (506) 849-4612, [email protected], Saint John, New Brunswick

Wanted: For 1974/75 Kawasaki KZ400,right side cover and seat. John York, (513)524-3071 mornings, Oxford, Ohio

1983 Eddie Lawson Helmet (Bell Star).Looking for full face, Kawasaki Team Greenhelmet with white and blue stripe. Ed, (586)872-3839

For 1983 Kawasaki ELR, set of tires.Looking for NOS or reproductions of theDunlops, Front was 100/90-19, Rear was120/90-18. Ed, (586) 872-3839

NKB

1930/50 NKB 90cc. Seeking information onthis manufacturer. I have recently purchaseda pre-war Japanese NKB motorcycle. Thesewere made by a small firm in Hiroshima priorto 1945. The model I have is a NKB Castle.They also made an NKB Junior as late as1945. Allen Siekman, (831) 336-3621,Santa Cruz, California, [email protected]

Rockford

For 1970/75 Rockford Chibi 60cc,Standard or Deluxe, I am wanting any mag-azines which have write ups on theRockford Chibi models. Starting with Mini-Bike Guide, for November 1970. Any gen-uine or Xerox copies would be welcome.Mike Ridley, 07706-914113, England,[email protected]

Suzuki

For 1968 Suzuki B100P 120cc, looking fora good used gas tank and gas cap. FredSauter, (905) 640-2851, Stouffville,Ontario, Canada, [email protected]

For 1973 Suzuki TS250 Savage, needseat, shocks, left side tank emblem, backwheel assembly and a bunch more. I willbuy any good condition running ’73 TS250.Dave Nuvallie, (413) 652-2841, Clarksburg,Massachusetts, [email protected]

For 1975 Suzuki GT750, looking for a com-plete exhaust in good condition. Chris,(603) 582-6792, New Hampshire,[email protected]

For 1986 Suzuki GSXR50, Beginning arestoration of this little pit bike and needparts manual, owners manual, body partsand sources for the same. All help appreci-ated. Tom Kolenko, (770) 427-4820,Atlanta, Georgia, [email protected]

Tohatsu

1960s Tohatsu Run Pet Sport. CompleteOriginal 50cc Run Pet Sport model. Nonrunners OK, please send jpegs & info. TomKolenko, (770) 427-4820, Atlanta, Georgia,[email protected]

For Tohatsu 125 Twin Arrow, need motor orparts. Ed Wilcox, (248) 388-1342, Fenton,Michigan, [email protected]

Yamaha

1965/68 Yamaha YDS3 or YDS3C 250cc.Looking for a good to very good conditionYamaha Big Bear Scrambler YDS3C. Willconsider YDS3 Catalina as well. JohnMarkley, (916) 0616-0156, Vacaville,California, [email protected]

1967 Yamaha R1 350cc. In good mechani-cal, good running condition. Very Interested.Don Robertson, (859) 986-2792, Berea,Kentucky, [email protected]

For 1968 Yamaha AS1 125 twin. I need agood clean gas tank. Also a Ducati single250, 350, 450 or parts. Can pick up, with-in 100 miles. Stewart Readman, InvernessFlorida, [email protected] 1970 Yamaha HS1/HS1B 90cc twin,parts and/or bike. Also need motor. FredKlopp, (717) 273-0141, Lebanon,Pennsylvania, [email protected]

1973/74 Yamaha TA125. Seek completeYamaha TA125 racer to restore, non-run-ners OK. Tom Kolenko, (770) 427-4820,Atlanta, Georgia, [email protected]

MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS WANTED

Back issues of the VJMC club magazine. Iwill buy or swap the magazines. Good pricepaid. Surely someone has an old collectionthat they no longer read? Please phonePaul, 0191 4561652, England, [email protected]

August 23 - 25, 2007

Hope to see you there!

MARK YOURCALENDAR!

30th Anniversary 2007 VJMC®

National Rally at Cumberland Gap,Tennessee

Documents

Suzuki RE-5 Rotary A Bike Before Its Time · Suzuki RE-5 Rotary A Bike Before Its Time Sam Costanzo Rotary Guru VJMC’s 30th Anniversary Celebrations East & West Coast Rallies. 2